wright



March3, 1964 A. c. WRIGHT BRISTLE INSERTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 31, 1961 Fig.1..

INVENTOR. ALMER C WR/a/rr BY Fi .2. QcM

JTTORNEYS March 3, 1964 A. c. WRIGHT 3,123,405

BRISTLE INSERTING APPARATUS Filed July 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. A L MER' C. WR/GHT ATTORNE'YJ United States Patent 3,123,495BRISTLE INSERTING APPARATUS Almer C. Wright, 162 Norman, Clyde, Caliii,assignor of one-half to William B. Thomas, Concord, Calif. Filed July31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,120 8 Claims. (Cl. 3008) This invention relatesto apparatus for inserting bristles into broom shoes and is particularlydirected to a device for facilitating the ready replacement of bristlesin wire brooms.

The bristles of wire brooms as employed on street sweepers and the likecommonly wear out after a relatively short period of use. Where thebrooms are used on concrete, the bristles wear out after approximately30 hours. Unfortunately the replacement of the bristles of a wire broomas heretofore conducted by hand is a tedious and time consumingoperation, it requiring of the order of 8 hours for one person to fillone broom. A very extensive bristle replacement program is hencerequired to maintain wire brooms in proper condition for sweepingservice.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus forreplacing the bristles of a wire broom in a substantially automaticfashion whereby the time required for bristle replacement is greatlyminimized over that of previous hand methods.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of theclass described that picks up wire broom straws, automatically bendsthem in half, and drives them through the holes of a broom shoe.

It is still another object of the invention to provide apparatus of theclass described which is adjustable to handle a variety of shoe sizes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus of theclass described wherein the spacing be tween the doubled over bristlescan be adjusted to fit a variety of distances between broom shoe holes.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specfication. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawings and descriptionmay be adopted within the scope of theinvention as setforth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus with the bristleinserting means thereof in position to pick up bristles or straws,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional. view taken at line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, the bristleinserting means being omitted,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged portional sectional View of the-bristleinserting means of the apparatus in engagement with the bristles priorto bending thereof,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken at line 44 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the inserting means of the apparatuswith the bristles in folded condition ready for insertion into a shoe,

FIGURE 6 is a portional top plan view of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional View taken at line 77 of FIGURE 5, and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5, but illustrating theinjection of the bristles into the shoe.

Considering now the invention in some detail and referring to theillustrated form thereof in the drawings, there is provided apparatusfor inserting bristles into a broom shoe which includes a bristleinserting head 11 slidably mounted along a guide 12. The head may bereciprocated in any suitable manner such as by hand or power means. Ashere shown, reciprocation is effected 3,123,405 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 bypneumatically operated means such as a pneumatic cylinder 3. The headcarries a bristle locking device 14- having a claw 16 which isselectively engageable with bristles 17 supported in a holder 18 at thelower extent of the head stroke within the guide channel. The claw ismanipulated into engagement with the undersides of the bristles at anintermediate position and an upward stroke of the head is initiated. Theclaw thus pulls the bristles into the guide and in so doing doubles themover. Spacing between the doubled over bristles is maintained as theyare pulled upwardly through the guide by bristle spacing and guidingmeans 19 at the lower end of the guide 12. When the head reaches theupper end of the stroke, the locking device 14 is manipulated todisengage the claw from the bristles. The guide is then aligned with theholes of a brush shoe 21 secured to support arms 22 and a downwardstroke of the head is initiated. The bristles are thus forced downwardlythrough the guide and injected into the holes of the brush shoe, properbristle spacing being maintained by the bristle spacing and guidingmeans 19.

As regards the preferred structure of the apparatus generally outlinedabove, the guide 1.2 is preferably of an elongated rectangular formincluding a longitudinally extending channel 23 of rectangular crosssection with a narrower longitudinal slot 24 extending centrallyexteriorly therefrom (see FIGURE 7). The guide 12 is secured to theupper end of a support standard 26 by universal joint means 27 whichfacilitates pivotal movement about vertical and tWo right angularlyrelated horizontal axes as well as translation along one horizontalaxis. More specifically, the joint means comprises a mounting member 28journalled to the upper end of the standard 26 for rotation about avertical axis. The member 28 includes a horizontal bore 29 receiving ashaft 31, the shaft being hence rotatable as well as translatable withinthe bore. The channel guide 12 is then pivotally secured'as indicated at32 to an end of the shaft for rotation about an axis transverselythereof. The universal joint 27 thus facilitates extreme flexibility ofmovement of the channel guide relative to the standard which as will besubsequently apparent is necessary in the alignment of the bristles withthe holes of a brush shoe.

The head 11 is preferably provided as a block 33 having a cross sectioncommensurate with that of the channel 23 and with an car 34 at its upperend projecting outwardly through the slot 24. The lower end face of theblock is provided with a slight V-notch 36, as best shown in FIGURE 6,to facilitate ready engagement with the bent over end of the bristles.In addition the block is provided with a central longitudinallyextending slot 37 adjacent its lower end and in alignment with thechannel guide slot 24.

The slot 37 in the head block 33 facilitates journaliling of the claw 16of lock device 14. The claw is of generally C-shaped configuration withthe upper leg thereof pivotally secured at its end Within the slot 37.Thus the claw may be pivoted between positions wherein its web projectsthrough the slot and its lower leg is exteriorly of and substantiallyparallel tothe channel guide, as depicted for example in FIGURE 1, andwherein the web is parallel to the guide axis and the lower leg projectsthrough the slot and across the channel. To [facilitate such pivotalmovement, the locking device further includes an operating lever arm 38pivotally secured to the ear 34 of the head block. A link arm 39 ispivotally connected at one end centrally of the lever arm 38 and at theother end to the web of the claw adj acent its lower end. An invertedJ-shaped hook member 41 is pivotally secured at the end of its long legto the lever arm at the position of the pivotal connection of the linkarm '39 thereto. Finally, a spring 4-2 is secured between the mid lengthregion of the long leg of the hook member and the ear 34-. Thus when thelever arm 38 is pivoted upwardly to a stable ofi dead center positionrelative to the spring d2, the claw is pivoted to its position whereinthe lower leg is external to the channel guide. When the lever arm ispivoted downwardly to another stable off dead center position, the clawis pivoted to its position wherein the lower leg projects across thechannel of the guide and the short leg of hook member 41 engages a notch&3 in the ear 34 of the head block (see FIGURE 3).

The pneumatic cylinder 13 is mounted at the upper end of the channelguide in alignment therewith as by means of a bracket 44- projectingtherefrom. The piston 45 of the cylinder is then secured as bythreadable attachment to the head block. The ports of the cylinder areconnected by air lines 47, 48 to a suitable valve 49 mounted at the baseof standard and which is in turn connected to a compressed air inletline 51. The valve 49 is preferably solenoid actuated and electricallyconnected to a foot pedal actuating switch 52 mounted upon the base ofthe standard. The switch may be arranged for example as by means oflimit switches (not shown) to actuate the valve 39 to produceincremental motion of the piston and head block 33 in a single directionresponsive to each actuation of the foot pedal switch until the entirestrok is completed. Thereafter, actuation of the foot pedal producesreverse motion of the piston and head. By virtue of the foregoingarrangement and inasmuch as the cylinder is loot actuated, substantialhand manipulation of the bristles as they are injected into the brushshoe is facilitated.

The bristle holder 18 is preferably provided as an enlongatedrectangular open-topped box member secured to the standard 26 as bymeans of brackets 53 at a position subj-acent the lower end of thechannel guide when it is in vertical position. More specifically, theholder extends transversely of the channel guide axis and the center ofthe holder is aligned therewith. The front side and bottom of the holderare open at their center as indicated at 54 and the rear side has acentral recess 56 coextensive with the front and bottom opening, Thebristles 17 placed in the holder thus straddle the opening 54. Hencewhen the head block 33 is at the lower extent of its stroke in contactwith the bristles, the lever arm 38 of the locking device may beactuated to pivot the lower leg of the claw 16 through the opening ofthe holder and beneath the bristles. The bristles are thus centrallyclamped between the claw and end of the head such that when the head andclaw are moved upwardly through the channel, the bristles are bent overthe claw by virtue of their engagement with the channel sides.

The bristle spacing and guiding means 19 which maintain a suitablespacing between the doubled over bristles as they are pulled into thechannel and guide the bristles into the holes of the shoe duringinjection preferably includes a spacing member 57 mounted on a springsteel arm or equivalent means at the lower end of the channel guide onthe opposite side thereof from the slot 24. The spacing member 57 isnormally urged by the arm 58 through a central longitudinal slot 5% inthe lower end of the guide across the channel therethrough so as toseparate the bent over bristles as they are moved through the channel.However, the member 57 is shaped such that it is urged outwardly throughthe slot 59 by the head block when the latter contacts the spacingmember. Thus the member is moved to an unobstructing position whenv thelooped over end portion of the bristles passes same. In addition a pairof rollers 61 are journalled upon arms 62 piyotally attached to theopposite sides of the guide, the rollers being movable through sideopenings 63 in the guide into engagement with the opposite exteriorsides of the bent over bristles in the channel. The arms 62 are springloaded to normally urge the rollers inwardly whereby the opposite legsof the bent 4 over bristles are restricted between the rollers andspacing member 57. Of course the spacing between the legs of thebristles is readily varied by the employment of spacing members ofvaried thickness. Hence, broom shoes wherein the spacing between holesis varied can be readily accommodated.

Finally, the support arms 22 for holding the shoe 21 to be serviced arepivotally attached to circumferentially spaced brackets 64- projectingfrom the standard 26 subjacent the bristle holder 18. The arms haveapertures 65 through their ends for receiving mounting bolts 67 normallyprovided at the opposite ends of the shoe 21. Inasmuch as the arms 22are pivotal, they may be adjusted to a variety of circumferentialspacings to thus accommodate a number of different sized shoes.

In the operation of the bristle inserting apparatus, a broom shoe 21 isfirst fastened to the arms 22 and the holder 18- is filled with bristles17. The channel guide 12 is positioned parallel to the standard 26 withits lower end closely adjacent the bristles in the holder, movement ofthe guide being facilitated by universal joint 27. Assuming the head 11to be at the lower end of the guide in contact with the bristles, asshown in FIGURE 1, the operating lever 38 of the locking device 14 ispivoted downward to position the lower leg of the claw 16 beneath thebristles in the holder as indicated in FlGURE 3. The spacer member 57 isat this time out of the channel due to the head abut-ting and forcingsame outward against the loading of the arm 53. The foot switch 52 maynow be depressed to actuate the cylinder 13 for upward movement of itspiston and the head block 33. The bristles 17 are pulled upwardly intothe channel 23 and in so doing are doubled over the claw lo. When thehead block and claw surpass the spacing member 57, it moves inwardlythrough the slot 59 and across the channel '23 between the bent overbristles. The spacing member and the rollers 61 hearing against theexterior sides of the bristles thus maintain a proper spacingtherebetween. When the head reaches the upper end of the channel guideand the bristles are pulled all of the way up thereinto, the piston andhead are stopped. Now the channel guide is manipulated, by virtue of themovement permitted by universal joint 27, into alignment with theparticular holes in the shoe 21 to be filled with the bristles in thechannel. In this connection the lower end of the guide is positionedclosely adjacent the shoe as shown in FIGURE 8. The lever 38 is nowpivoted upward to disengage the hook 16 from the bristles. The footswitch 52 is depressed to initiate downward movement of the head, thebristles being urged by the head downward into the shoe holes. Wherenecessary the bristles may be further guided by hand alternately orsimultaneously with depressions of the foot switch so as to manipulatethe bristles through the holes. The foregoing procedure is repeateduntil all holes of the shoe are filled.

What is claimed is:

1. Bristle bending and inserting apparatus comprising an elongated guidehaving a channel longitudinally therethrough and a longitudinal slotextending exteriorly from said channel, said channel havinglongitudinally extending spaced guide walls, a head slidably mounted forreciprocation within said channel, means coupled to said head forcontrollably effecting said reciprocation, a looking device carried bysaid head for movement therewith including a claw pivotally mounted formovement through said slot for selective positioning within the channelfor longitudinal movement therein, an elongated open topped bristleholder disposed subjacent said guide and formed to support unbentbristles of greater length than the distance between said walls intransverse relation to the axis of the guide, said holder having acentral opening coextensive with said slot and channel and located inthe path of movement of said claw whereby said claw is movable throughsaid opening to engage the un- 3 dcrside of the bristles so that uponlongitudinal movement in one direction of the head the claw will drawthe bristles between the walls of the channel, in longitudinal alignmenttherewith thereby folding said bristles into opposed folded portions,said head being movable in the opposite direction and adapted to engagethe folded bristles and move them longitudinally out of said channel.

2. Bristle bending and inserting apparatus comprising an elongated guidehaving longitudinally extending spaced guide portions, a head slidablymounted for reciprocation within said guide, means operatively connectedto said head for effecting said reciprocation, a bristle holder forretaining bristles of greater length than the distance between saidguide portions, supporting means for a broom shoe having bristlereceiving apertures, means mounting said guide for selective movementbetween positions overlying said holder in generally transverse relationto bristles carried therein and in adjacent alignnent with the aperturesof a broom shoe when carried by said supporting means, a bristleengaging device carried by said head including a claw selectivelyengageable with the undersides of bristles carried by said holder andmovable longitudinally in said guide away from said holder to draw saidbristles between sai spaced portions of said guide in longitudinalalignment therewith thereby folding said bristles into opposed foldedportions having their ends directed away from said head, said head beingmovable toward said supporting means and engageable with said bristlesto move them longitudinally out of said guide with said bristle endsbeing directed toward aligned broom shoe apertures.

3. Bristle bending and inserting apparatus comprising, means defining agenerally elongated channel, means movable along said channel in onedirection for engaging unbent bristles disposed generally transverselyto said channel at a point intermediate their ends and for pulling saidbristles into said channel in generally longitudinal alignment therewithto fold said bristles about said points into opposed folded portions,said channel having a width smaller than the length of said unbentbristles, means movable along said channel in an opposite direction forurging the folded bristles longitudinally out of said channel, andspacing means for maintaining the opposed folded portions of eachbristle in spaced relation as the bristles are moved out of saidchannel.

4. Bristle bending and inserting apparatus comprising a guide memberdefining a generally elongated channel therein, bristle engaging meansmounted for reciprocating movement along said channel and including aportion disposed slidably in said channel for longitudinal movementtherein with said means, said means further including a claw memberselectively positionable in said channel in spaced relation to saidportion and being longitudinally movable in said channel with saidmeans, said claw being adapted to engage unbent bristles disposedgenerally transversely to said channel and fold over said bristlesbetween said claw and said portion by pulling them into said channel ingeneral longitudinal alignment therewith upon movement of said means inone direction, said channel having a width smaller than the length of hthe unbent bristles, said portion being adapted to engage foldedbristles disposed in said channel and move them out of said channel uponmovement of said means in the opposite direction, and means for movingand holding the claw out of the channel while said portion is moving thebristles out of the channel.

5. Bristle bending and inserting apparatus comprising, an elongatedguide member having a longitudinally disposed channel therein extendingto one end of the guide member, a head member slidably mounted in saidchannel for longitudinal reciprocating movement therein, means forselectively reciprocating said head member, said head member having abearing portion for engaging bristles disposed longitudinally in saidchannel to push them longitudinally out of said channel at said end ofthe guide member, a bristle engaging claw mounted on said head andhaving a portion selectively movable into said channel in spacedrelation to said head bearing portion, said claw being positionable inend alignment with said channel at a position spaced from said end ofthe guide member, said claw being movable with said head from saidposition towards said guide member and into the channel for longitudinalmovement therein away from said end.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 further defined by a bristlespacing member disposed adjacent said end of said guide member andmounted for selective positioning in longitudinal alignment with thepath of said claw portion in said channel, said head member adapted tourge said spacing member out of the path of said claw portion when thelatter is disposed in said position thereof.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 6 further defined by a pair of spacedguide elements dispose-d on opposite sides of said spacing member, andmeans resiliently urging said elements towards said spacing member.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 7 further defined by a support frame,a bristle holder mounted on said frame for retaining unbent bristles,mounted on said support means frame for retaining a broom shoe, anduniversal mounting means for supporting said guide member on said frameand adapted for selective movement of said guide member between aposition having said end of said guide member adjacent said holder andpositions wherein said end of said guide member is adjacent theapertures of the broom shoe.

References filited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS128,251 Rogers et al. June 25, 1872 702,091 Edge June 10, 1902 1,038,763Kleeman Sept. 17, 1912 1,650,248 Van Veen Nov. 22, 1927 1,840,672 JavinsJan. 12, 1932 2,661,490 Benyalc Dec. 8, 1953 2,860,921 Van Clief Nov.18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 174,222 Sweden Feb. 14, 1961

1. BRISTLE BENDING AND INSERTING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED GUIDEHAVING A CHANNEL LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH AND A LONGITUDINAL SLOTEXTENDING EXTERIORLY FROM SAID CHANNEL, SAID CHANNEL HAVINGLONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPACED GUIDE WALLS, A HEAD SLIDABLY MOUNTED FORRECIPROCATION WITHIN SAID CHANNEL, MEANS COUPLED TO SAID HEAD FORCONTROLLABLY EFFECTING SAID RECIPROCATION, A LOCKING DEVICE CARRIED BYSAID HEAD FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH INCLUDING A CLAW PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FORMOVEMENT THROUGH SAID SLOT FOR SELECTIVE POSITIONING WITHIN THE CHANNELFOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT THEREIN, AN ELONGATED OPEN TOPPED BRISTLEHOLDER DISPOSED SUBJACENT SAID GUIDE AND FORMED TO SUPPORT UNBENTBRISTLES OF GREATER LENGTH THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID WALLS INTRANSVERSE RELATION TO THE AXIS OF THE GUIDE, SAID HOLDER HAVING ACENTRAL OPENING COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID SLOT AND CHANNEL AND LOCATED INTHE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CLAW WHEREBY SAID CLAW IS MOVABLE THROUGHSAID OPENING TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BRISTLES SO THAT UPONLONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION OF THE HEAD THE CLAW WILL DRAWTHE BRISTLES BETWEEN THE WALLS OF THE CHANNEL, IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENTTHEREWITH THEREBY FOLDING SAID BRISTLES INTO OPPOSED FOLDED PORTIONS,SAID HEAD BEING MOVABLE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGETHE FOLDED BRISTLES AND MOVE THEM LONGITUDINALLY OUT OF SAID CHANNEL.